What happened in 1965 involving the Marine Corps?

In 1965, the Marine Corps landed in South Vietnam as part of a significant escalation of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. This event marked the beginning of substantial American military presence in Vietnam, with the first Marine units arriving in March and establishing a base at Da Nang. The landing was a response to requests from the South Vietnamese government for assistance in combating the growing threat posed by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces. This action set the stage for a larger military engagement in the region and represented a critical shift in U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War.

The other options do not accurately reflect significant events involving the Marine Corps in that year. The landing in Cuba did not occur in 1965, nor was there a major Marine establishment in Japan during that period. Similarly, the intervention in Panama happened later, specifically in 1989. Therefore, the decision to land in South Vietnam was pivotal for both the Marine Corps and U.S. military history.